WHAT THIS IS
One unforgettable weekend
to come back to each other.
Most couples were never taught how desire actually works, especially in long-term relationships.
There's no roadmap for navigating the slow drift from lovers to co-managers of a shared life, and most of us have been quietly making it up as we go.
The Passion Weekend changes that. Led by Sexologist Rachel Strevens, this intimate couples retreat blends grounded sexual education with guided couple exercises and real space to reconnect, at a beautiful lakeside setting on the Rotorua Lakes.
You won't just talk about intimacy. You'll learn how to create it: how to build anticipation, communicate your desires with confidence, understand each other more deeply, and bring real chemistry back into your relationship.
At a glance
When
18th - 20th September, 2026
Where
Rotorua Lakes, New Zealand
Investment
$1,495/couple (early bird $1,295)
Format
Friday 6pm - Sunday 12pm
Accommodation
Yours to arrange - curated list provided
Meals
Fri dinner, Sat lunch, Sun brunch included
Led by
Rachel Strevens, Sexologist
This is not crisis therapy. It is a guided intimacy reset for couples who are stable, committed, and ready to grow into something even stronger.
WHAT YOU'LL EXPLORE
From routine to ravishing.
Across the weekend you'll move through four core areas — each one building on the last. Warm, frank, and grounded in real evidence. Nothing like the awkward sex-ed of your school days.
01
Desire & Arousal
Understand how desire actually works in long-term relationships — why it shifts, how stress and mental load affect attraction, and how to intentionally rebuild it with your partner. For most couples, this session alone is a revelation.
Understanding Each Other
02
A grown-up education in how pleasure works — for her body, his confidence, and your connection as a couple. The kind of honest information most of us were never given, delivered with warmth and zero awkwardness.
03
Communication & Confidence
Learn how to talk about what you both want, and draw out the things your partner's never quite said. The conversations that change everything — and that most couples put off indefinitely.
Connection & Chemistry
How to build the kind of anticipation that makes coming home feel exciting again. Practical tools and rituals you'll still be using six months later — because a great weekend means nothing if nothing changes on Monday.
04
THE SETTING
Black Swan.
On the edge of the lake.
Our weekend is held at Black Swan, a boutique lakeside hotel on the shores of the Rotorua Lakes. Quiet luxury, design-led interiors, sculpted gardens and a private jetty onto the water. The kind of place that makes it easy to leave everyday life at the door and turn your attention back to each other.
Lakeside & private
Right on the water at Kawaha Point, surrounded by native green and calm. Intimate by nature, which is exactly why we chose it.
Your Saturday, together
Sessions run through Saturday, then the afternoon and evening are yours. Soak in one of the nearby world-class geothermal pools, then slip away for a long, unhurried dinner. Just the two of you.
Easy to reach
Less than three hours from Auckland, and close for Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay. An easy drive for a weekend that feels a world away.
Where to stay
The weekend runs from Friday evening to Sunday, so you'll want somewhere lovely to stay. You're welcome to choose whatever suits you, but we've arranged a 15% discount at Black Swan and its sister property, Hana Lodge, for our couples.
ON SITE · 15% OFF
Black Swan — stay where the weekend is held, right on the lake. Subject to availability, limited rooms available.
SISTER LODGE · 15% OFF
Hana Lodge — Black Swan's sister property, a short drive away in the hills, set on private grounds with lake views.
YOUR CHOICE
Prefer something else? Rotorua has options at every price point. You're free to stay wherever feels right for you.
WHAT'S COVERED
Here's exactly what your investment covers.
INCLUDED IN PROGRAMME FEE
All facilitated sessions and workshops across the weekend, hosted by Rachel Strevens - Sexologist
Friday evening group dinner
Saturday group lunch at the venue
Sunday light group brunch
Retreat resources and activities to take home
ARRANGED BY COUPLES SEPARATELY
Accommodation — book at Black Swan or Hana Lodge with 15% off, or your own choice
Saturday afternoon thermal pools/spa
Saturday evening dinner - your own romantic night out
Transport to and from Rotorua Lakes
YOUR INVESTMENT
The weekend that actually changes something.
Most couples spend more than this on a weekend away that changes nothing. A few nice dinners, a nice view, and back to normal by Wednesday.
This is a weekend away that actually does something. You'll come home with real knowledge, real tools, and a shift in how you connect that's still with you a year from now.
Kept deliberately small and intimate.
EARLY BIRD - FIRST TWO WEEKS
$1,295
Standard price: $1,495 per couple
Programme only · accommodation & transport arranged separately
$400 deposit secures your place. Balance due 4 weeks before the retreat.
Prefer to talk it through first? Register your interest below and I'll be in touch.
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
Rachel's work. In their words.
"Don't feel awkward or embarrassed. Approach it with an open mind and just do it. What have you got to lose?"
MARK. — EVENT ATTENDEE
"Rachel makes it easy & comfortable to talk openly."
PAULA — EVENT ATTENDEE
"I admired your forthrightness, and your thoughtful, caring approach to the moments that were harder to talk about."
B.L. — EVENT ATTENDEE
"Rachel creates a space that feels safe yet inspiring. Her approach is both fun and deeply insightful — she knows how to push you without making you feel overwhelmed. I can't recommend her highly enough."
SCOTT B. — COACHING CLIENT
"A remarkably safe, comfortable space to explore topics that are absolutely necessary for personal growth and intimacy. It left me reflecting deeply on things we don't talk about enough. Highly recommend!"
A.S. — EVENT ATTENDEE
YOUR HOST
Rachel Strevens
I'm the Founder of The Passion Project, and I work with women, men and couples across New Zealand to reclaim intimacy, awaken desire, and live passionately — with confidence, safety, and unapologetic sensuality.
I believe great intimacy is something you can keep growing into, at any age, and at any stage of a relationship. And that with honest conversation and the right knowledge, far more is possible for most couples than they realise.
I'll bring warmth, intelligence, and just enough cheek to make the conversations that matter feel completely natural.
SEXOLOGIST
SEX COACH & EDUCATOR
ANZCAL CERTIFIED
SEXUAL HEALTH ALLIANCE (USA)
AS FEATURED IN:
NZ Herald | Woman's Day | Capsule NZ
COMMON QUESTIONS
What couples ask before booking.
How is this different from couples therapy? Therapy usually starts from a problem, something that's gone wrong and needs repairing. This starts from the opposite place. It's not crisis therapy. You won't be unpicking old wounds with a facilitator. You'll learn how desire actually works in long-term relationships, and come away with practical tools to bring more chemistry, connection and play back into a relationship you already value.
Is this for couples in crisis, or couples who are doing okay? Couples who are doing okay. This weekend is built for stable, committed couples who love each other and simply want more: more desire, more closeness, more fun. If you're in real trouble, or weighing up whether to stay together, this isn't the place to work that out. A qualified couples therapist is the right first step, and I'll happily point you there. You don't have to be struggling to want this. You just have to be curious.
Will it be awkward? Do we have to share personal things with strangers? Only as much as you want to. There's no pressure to bare your soul to the room, no performing, and nothing you'll be made to do in front of anyone else. The learning happens together as a group; the personal, intimate part happens privately, just the two of you. Warm, frank and a bit cheeky. Nothing like the awkward sex-ed of your school days.
Do both of us need to come? What if one of us is more hesitant? Yes, it's a weekend for the two of you, so you'll both need to be there. A little hesitation is normal. Most people arrive slightly unsure and settle in within the first hour, once they realise it's grounded and enjoyable rather than confronting. If one of you is keen and the other's on the fence, that's often the couple who gets the most out of it.
Where do we stay, and why isn't accommodation included? You arrange your own accommodation, which keeps the weekend more affordable and lets you pick the room and budget that suit you. We've arranged 15% off at Black Swan, where the sessions run, and at its sister property Hana Lodge, or you're welcome to stay anywhere in the Rotorua Lakes that feels right. Everything else, all sessions plus Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and Sunday brunch, is included in your programme fee.
How many couples will be there? The weekend is kept deliberately small, between 5 - 10 couples maximum, so it stays intimate and every couple gets real attention. Once this date is full, it's full.
Is there any nudity, touch or bodywork involved? No. This is education-led coaching, not tantra or bodywork. You'll stay fully clothed the whole weekend, there's no touch between couples or anyone else, and nothing intimate happens in the room. What you learn is yours to take back to your own accommodation, in your own time, in private.
Is this confidential? Completely. What's shared over the weekend stays with the people in the room. As a qualified sexologist I work to a professional code of confidentiality, and everyone who comes agrees to the same discretion: what's said, and who's there, stays private. No photos, no names, no stories carried home about anyone else. You can relax and be yourself.
What's your cancellation policy? Your $400 deposit is non-refundable, but it's transferable to the next retreat if you give us four weeks' notice. That secures your place; the balance is due four weeks before the weekend. If you have questions about dates or timing before you book, just ask.
Register your interest.
Provide your details below to register your interest and receive full Retreat details. NOTE that this DOES NOT secure your spot (deposit must be received to secure your spot)
ANOTHER WAY IN
Not sure about the dates?
September won't suit everyone, and that's okay. If the weekend isn't right for you this time, couples coaching is a way to start closer to home, at your own pace, from wherever you are in New Zealand. Same honest conversation, same practical tools, just the two of us and you.
Or register your interest above, and you'll be first to hear when the next retreat dates are released.